My latest project is building a steam engine for a model railroad.       For project-hounds like me, each new ambition means new tools, which are fun but pricey. That’s a big commitment for a beginner. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to try a project, get some guidance and use some tools and supplies before having to buy your own?       Now there is.  

Charlie’s Story Crunchies Natural Pet Foods by Julia Brewer, Crunchies owner      In 2008 our lives changed forever. We were house hunting in South Anne Arundel County when a small beagle came out of the woods and started walking down the deserted road. We both saw him at the same time, looked at each other and knew immediately.

       Disneyland claims to be the happiest place on earth, but Dogwood Acres Pet Resort in Davidsonville may be the happiest place in Anne Arundel County. At least that’s what owners Audrey and Kurt Reichardt believe. And it’s hard to argue with a hundred wagging tails.

     The small girl, her eyes reflecting the sea beyond, sits amid the maze of sand castles and moats she has created on this sullen summer morning. Above the boardwalk, kites in glorious colors gasp for air; and in the far distance she sees the faint outline of a Ferris wheel so tall that one can see all the way across to England. A sign says so.          Her older cousins have grown bored with the castles and left her for the surf. She watches them slither like seals in the bottle-green shallows where a sand bar stretches.

         The conundrum of beagle love: bright loving eyes, silky tri-color fur, endless cuddling and a white-tipped, eternally wagging tail — all wrapped up with a deafening howl, the search for mischief and stubborn independence.          When the beagle’s nose is engaged, the dog will track a scent unabashedly. Beagles are notorious for leaving the hunting pack, or digging under a standard fence, or breaking through an electric fence if they find something interesting and worth pursuing.

Anne Arundel County Animal ­Control Shelter The central Anne Arundel County location for lost pets reunites hundreds with their owners and operates a shelter that annually finds new homes for about 1,500 pets. As part of Anne Arundel County Police Department, it enforces all animal control laws. Services include a weekly $5 rabies vaccination clinic: 411 Maxwell Frye Rd., Millersville; 410-222-8900; www.aacounty.org/animalcontrol Friends of Anne Arundel County ­Animal Control

     A new canine influenza is emerging. A highly contagious strain of the virus known as H3N8 is the cause. This respiratory illness is highly contagious through direct contact and through the air (coughing and sneezing).

       Peter Rabbit has delighted generations since he hopped into children’s literature in 1902. The Tale of Peter Rabbit — written as a gift for a child — was the first in a series of animal tales by animal lover and naturalist Beatrix Potter. The cottontail, the velvet ears, the twitchy nose, the long whiskers and the habit of sneaking into Mr. McGregor’s garden to feast on vegetables: It all still appeals to our whimsical natures and sets our imaginations adrift.

    Every dog needs some time to be a dog, free of human expectation, including leashes. Dog parks offer large fenced areas for both big and small dogs to run free while getting the much-needed socialization and exercise that keeps them healthy and happy. Two area dog parks also have dog beaches.             To enjoy their freedom in dog parks, dogs (and human companions) enter into a social contract of friendliness — aggression isn’t allowed.

May on the Patuxent River — Weeks of harsh weather and rain hammer a lonely tower, resolute like a final soldier in battle. A mother osprey braces in her nest, doing everything she can to protect her offspring. Little does she know, it is too late. No chicks will hatch in her nest this year, and she and her mate will have a ­lonely summer on the river. This season has not been kind to osprey, but at first glance, you wouldn’t know it. v  v  v